Seventh Arab Competition Forum Opens in Dubai to Strengthen Fair Digital Markets

The seventh Arab Competition Forum has opened in Dubai, bringing together senior officials from regional and international competition authorities, academics, industry experts and private-sector representatives to discuss ways to promote fair and competitive digital markets across the Arab region.

Held under the theme “Competition Policy in the Digital Age: Maintaining Fairness and Equality in the Market”, the two-day forum will examine how digital transformation is reshaping competition and how regulatory frameworks can protect market fairness, expand business opportunities and support a competitive digital economy.

The forum is organised by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and the Competition Department of the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism, in partnership with UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission (CCCC).

UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri opened the event alongside senior representatives of the partner organisations.

UAE Highlights Competition Reforms and Faster Regulatory Approvals

Bin Touq said competition policy was becoming increasingly important as global markets undergo rapid transformation, particularly with the growing influence of digital platforms and artificial intelligence (AI).

He emphasised the need to continuously update regulatory policies to balance innovation with market openness and fair competition.

The minister also highlighted the UAE’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its legislative framework under Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2023 on the Regulation of Competition and its executive regulations.

According to the ministry, it processed 85 economic concentration applications between 2023 and September 28, 2026, involving transactions valued at more than Dh81 billion.

The integration of AI-powered digital tools has also reduced application processing times from approximately 100 days to 15 days, improving regulatory efficiency and supporting the competitiveness of the national economy.

Bin Touq said hosting the seventh Arab Competition Forum provided an opportunity to strengthen cooperation, exchange expertise and develop shared approaches to economic and technological change while ensuring markets remain open and competitive.

Arab Countries Make Progress on Competition Frameworks

The forum builds on progress in the development of competition policies across the region. ESCWA assessments show that the average score for competition frameworks in Arab countries increased from 3.73 out of seven in 2021 to 4.1 in its latest assessment, published in 2024.

In a recorded message, ESCWA Executive Secretary Rania Al-Mashat said the region had made tangible progress in developing competition frameworks, but stressed that legislation alone was insufficient.

She highlighted the importance of effective implementation and ensuring that competition authorities can respond to rapidly evolving digital markets.

As digital platforms expand, data, algorithms and network effects can drive innovation while also creating barriers to entry and making it more difficult for new businesses to challenge established players.

UNCTAD Warns Against Market Concentration in Digital Economies

UNCTAD Acting Secretary-General Pedro Manuel Moreno said digital economies across the region were growing rapidly but warned that growth without effective competition could prove fragile.

He noted that promising start-ups risk being pushed out of markets before reaching scale or being acquired before they mature. Such developments can reduce consumer choice, increase costs and weaken confidence in markets.

The forum will examine how competition policy can help ensure that digital transformation benefits businesses and consumers while preventing excessive market concentration.

Forum to Examine Digital Regulation, Mergers and Consumer Protection

The programme will address several major policy questions facing competition authorities as businesses increasingly operate through digital platforms and technology-driven services.

Key topics include:

• Digital market regulation: The relationship between regulation introduced in advance and competition enforcement.

• Regional policy coordination: Cooperation to develop more consistent digital competition policies across Arab markets.

• Merger control: Assessing mergers and acquisitions in the digital sector.

• Consumer protection: Improving coordination between competition and consumer-protection authorities in the digital economy.

Speaking on behalf of OECD Competition Committee Chair Benoît Coeuré, Saïd Kechida, Manager of the Competition Division for Africa and the Middle East at the OECD, highlighted regional investment in digital infrastructure, fintech, e-commerce, AI and smart services.

He said authorities needed to consider how to ensure these investments support markets that remain open, contestable and innovative.

Regional Cooperation Key to Fair and Competitive Markets

The forum also highlighted the need for stronger coordination among competition authorities as digital businesses increasingly operate across national borders.

Willard Mwemba, Director and Chief Executive Officer of the COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission, said digital transformation was creating opportunities for innovation, economic growth, financial inclusion and consumer benefits.

However, he cautioned that these developments also raised significant competition concerns, including the risk of increased market concentration.

The forum is expected to conclude with discussions on the future of fair and competitive digital markets across the Arab region. Participants will seek to develop practical recommendations to strengthen competition frameworks and improve regulatory cooperation in response to technological change.